The Mau Forest Complex, located in Kenya, is the largest indigenous montane forest in East Africa covering 273,000 hectares. With less than 7% forest cover in Kenya, both people and wildlife rely on this forest as a water catchment-- the Mau Forest feeds Southern Ewaso Ng'iro, Sondu River, Mara River, Njoro River, Lake Victoria, Lake Nakuru and Lake Natron. Over the last ten years over 100,000 hectares of this forest have been destroyed by squatters despite Mau Forest Complex's protected status. Kenya's Ministry of Land is currently preparing to hand over 17,000 hectares more of the Mau Forest to squatters. THIS MUST BE STOPPED.

If 17,000 hectares are handed over from the Mau Forest Complex, experts believe this could be the end of flourishing life at the Maasai Mara National Reserve and its surrounding conservancies. 

“Reports on the decision by the Cabinet to approve the excision of 17,000 hectares of Mau Forest land and be given out to individuals that have illegally occupied the forest over the years are disturbing and pose the biggest threat ever to Kenya’s environmental conservation efforts," said  Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli in a statement.

"The Kenya government should be aware that allocating such huge chunk of Mau Forest to these individuals will spell an end to Maasai Mara National Reserve that earns this country billions in terms of revenue and the resultant environmental destruction that will follow such action will be painful and one that will cost Kenya dearly to recover from both locally and internationally,” he added.